Motorist held after London hit-and-run girl plea

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Lizzie Beach-MacGeagh

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Lizzie Beach-MacGeagh's mother Vicky

The mother of a student killed by a hit-and-run driver while jogging told of her relief today after a suspect surrendered to police.

Lizzie Beach-MacGeagh, 20, was struck by a BMW as she crossed the road in East Barnet nine days ago. This week her family visited the scene to appeal for help in tracing the driver.

Last night Scotland Yard said a 25-year-old man had attended a north London police station by appointment and was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, failing to stop after an accident and perverting the course of justice.

Today Lizzie's mother, Vicky Beach, told the Standard: "I'm glad he's come forward. Now I can stop thinking about it and grieve for my daughter.

"My darling Lizzie has gone and nothing can bring her back. But every time the phone rang we hoped it would be the police to say they'd found him. I was getting obsessed. As a family we wanted some closure before the funeral."

She said she had hated going back to the scene of her daughter's death, but she believed press coverage of the appeal had helped the search.

Lizzie, who was studying history at Bristol University, was staying with friends in north London after winning a summer internship at the Moschino fashion house's West End offices. More than 200 mourners are expected at her funeral in her home town of Marlborough, Wiltshire, next Friday.

Mrs Beach said her family was delighted that six transplant patients had received Lizzie's organs, including a three-year-old girl with congenital liver disease. She said: "Hopefully, six families had life-changing experiences this week. That's very Lizzie, that's exactly what she would have wanted.

"Lizzie was such a giving person, always thinking of other people. She spent the whole summer of last year looking after 20 orphans in Uganda.

"We have had messages coming from all over the world. It's been really humbling to hear what an incredible impact my daughter had on so many people's lives. I had no idea how many people loved her.

"I'm trying to cling to all these positive things. I just have to hang on and make sure we do Lizzie proud at her funeral because she certainly deserves it."

Mrs Beach hopes to raise money at the service for the charity Friends of St Michael's Uganda, which Lizzie and her family founded to help 800 primary school pupils in the impoverished African country.